NBA OFFICIAL EXPOUNDS ON LAWSUIT AGAINST UNION

     The NBA's lawsuit against the NBPA and six top agents "is a
direct response to the unsettled state of the union," according
to David Moore of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS.  When Simon Gourdine
was ousted as Exec Dir in January, Jeffrey Kessler, one of the
leaders of last summer's decertification fight, was retained to
represent the union in final CBA negotiations.  NBA Deputy
Commissioner Russ Granik says, when Kessler was brought on, "98
to 99 percent of the contract's wording had been completed."
But, according to Granik, in their first meeting with Kessler he
said "they wanted to start over."  Granik:  "Just because we
changed negotiators, we felt that gave them no right to back out
on portions of the deal."  The players have decided to hire a
head-hunting firm to find a new Exec Dir, but they "haven't been
able to agree on what firm should be hired."  Until the players
make a hire, "it's difficult to imagine the league and union
reaching an accord" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/19).